Category: News

For those of you who were looking forward to our next production, it’s bad news -again. Due to issues with casting we have had to cancel our production of The One.

This follows on from last year’s cancellation of Anna Weiss and highlights one of the main problems faced by all amateur theatre companies – we depend on volunteers who have to fit theatre into their spare time. Increasingly busy lives, where work schedules and families can often leave very little space for ‘hobbies’, mean that many people, although willing, simply don’t have the time to commit to a theatre production requiring months of intensive rehearsals.

Over the next few months, we will be working out how we can continue to produce high quality theatre for our audiences. It may be that we move to shorter, one-act plays, larger casts, devised pieces or other ways to reduce the burden on our actors.

If you have any suggestions of plays you think we should look at, or anything you would like to see us perform, please get in touch – we would like to hear from you.

We are looking to cast our next production, so if you want to get involved with Out Of The Box, this is your chance!

Our next play is The One, by Vicky Jones. It is a contemporary dark (very dark!) comedy which centres on the dysfunctional relationship between Harry, a university lecturer, and Jo, his partner (and former student). Harry’s ex Kerry is also still on the scene, and while two are struggling to be company, three is definitely a crowd…

In terms of casting, we are keen to hear from actors to play the characters; Jo, who is feisty, strong-willed and aged early twenties to mid thirties. Kerry is quieter, more nervous but still confident. She’s older than Jo, late twenties to late thirties. Harry is trying hard to appear younger than he is – late thirties to mid forties.

Please send us a message if you’re interested so we can tell you more about the play and the roles, or arrange an audition. Use the contact page on this website, go to our Facebook page, send a email to simon@outoftheboxtheatre.co.uk or text/call 07531 198809.

Nathan Dean is working on a theatre project and is looking for actors to take part. The piece will be performed at the Drill Hall on 17 July. Auditions are on 1 July at the Drill Hall. If you’d like to get involved, get in touch with Nathan – nathantdeanwriter@gmail.com or call him on 07982803180.

Here is a brief overview of the project:

Characters [multirole]:
1. The Filmmaker (1)
2. The Filmmaker’s Wife (1)
3. The Writer (2)
4. Guests of Gallery/Party (2) (6)
5. The Musician (3)
6. Producer of Musician (3)
7. The Dramatist (4)
8. Cast of Horror Play (4)
9. The Dancer (5)
10. The Artist (6)
11. Gallery Owner (6)
12. The Freak (7)
13. Middle-Class Individual (7)
14. + others (see full script)
Cast of approx. 6
General Structure:
1 – Prologue, Film, 30secs to 2 mins – The Filmmaker discusses with his Wife how he prefers having settled down, but that he had many creative friends back in the day. She asks who they were. He tells her through the medium of the play:
2 – The Writer, 10mins approx. – A self-published author is trying to find his place at a gathering of other artists. Slowly but surely it becomes apparent all forms of art are important in a community, both profit and non-profit, and the author hands his book to a girl
3 – The Musician, 10 mins approx. – A musician sets up on stage and performs a piece of his own (a full song, a song number in the drama). When he finishes, he looks to the back of the room to ask his producer what he thought. The Producer says it wasn’t commercial enough, it needs to be more poppy. Producer leaves. Musician strums, considers, exits stage
4 – The Dramatist, 10 mins approx. – A theatre dramaturge is urging people to come help create and manage his Horror Spectacle based on 80s horror. He is not of the community, so some look down on him for making such an obvious attempt at fear. After a humorous moment showing what he’d like to make (i.e. green skinned goblins on stage etc), it is apparent what is important is the creation of something and not some artistic political matter.
5 – The Dancer, 10 mins approx. – A dancer puts on a performance, trying to show the struggle between the two sides of the artist. One part narcissist to one part crippling self-doubt.
6 – The Artist, 10 mins approx. – A new painter is trying to find space to exhibit his work, eventually finding some backstreet gallery where it can be presented. No one comes to see the pictures bar some very few, but the few who do come are moved or at least have an opinion. He learns that touching one soul is as important as thousands.
7 – The Freak, 10 mins approx. – A modern beatnik walks the streets of his city selling art for anything people can offer of sentimental value. He comes across a middle-class individual who can’t quite grasp this kind of art.
8 – Epilogue, Film, 2-10 mins approx. – The Filmmaker, through his memories of his creative past, leaves bed to get ‘a glass of water’, but his reminiscences get the best of him, and he begins scripting his next feature length.

Out of the Box Theatre Company presents a new play by local playwright Stephen Gillard. The Lighthouse Waltz is a darkly moving and at times humorous journey through one woman’s attempts to understand the events of her past. Who is Lilly? What happened to her? And, most importantly, who is to blame?

As Lilly recalls the memories of the people closest to her, we are all reminded that perhaps the last person we admit anything to is ourselves.

The Lighthouse Waltz will be performed in the Room Upstairs, Lincoln Drill Hall, 25-27 June 2015.

Characters:

Lilly (F): Mid 20s to 40s

Rob (M): Mid 20s to 40s – Lilly’s ex-husband.

Maddy (F): Mid 20s to 40s – Lilly’s best friend.

Jack/Doctor (M): Mid 20s to 40s – Doubled up cameo role, boyfriend to Maddy and a Doctor at a hospital.

Auditions:

To be held on Monday 9th February at the Victoria Pub Function Room from 7pm and Wednesday 11th February at the Magna Carta Pub Function Room from 7pm.

If you can not attend either of these dates but still wish to audition please message us or contact Steve on 07765854025 to make separate arrangements.

For those who were wondering what Out of the Box has been up to since March (yes, it has been that long), it’s time for a Christmas Round Robin! The early part of 2014 was taken up with our production of Steve Lambert’s ‘Still’. Directed by Lisa and starring Simon and new recruit Sarah Covill, it was well recieved by our audiences. We appear to have misplaced the pictures, but will search hard drives and iPhones and get something posted on here very shortly. After a holiday in Spain (spent mostly reading scripts!), Simon and Lisa auditioned for the Lincoln Mystery Plays’ World War One commemoration ‘The Last Post’. Written by David Owen Smith and Peter Came and directed by Janie Smith, the play told the story of the Beechey family of Lincoln, who lost five of their eight sons in the Great War. Simon played Leonard Beechey, who tragically died of injuries in December 1917. Lisa played Len’s wife and widow, Annie. With a cast of 70, plus choir and musicians, the play was on a scale Out of the box could only dream of. It was a honour to be involved in such a project and being on stage telling a WW1 story during Armistice week in the centenary of the outbreak of fighting.

Continuing the WW1 theme, Simon will be appearing in Indulgence Theatre Company’s production of ‘Cowards’;

It is 1916 and the Battle of the Somme rages. ‘Cowards’ follows the stories of Harry Blaydon, a young Private charged with cowardice and General Sir Douglas Haig. Spiralling casualty figures and political maneuvering result in both men facing ‘firing lines’, but can either escape their fate? This new play, written by local playwright Stephen Gillard and performed by local company Indulgence Theatre, is based on the diaries of General Haig and real letters from soldiers on the front line.

We have also decided on some future productions. ‘Cowards’ playwright and supporter of Out of the Box Stephen Gillard has chosen us to produce the World premier of his new play ‘The Lighthouse Waltz’. We’re very excited to be working with Stephen on what promises to be a thrilling production. We’ve had an exclusive read of the script and it’s a cracker (excuse the Christmas pun). Our spiritual home, The Room Upstairs at the Lincoln Drill Hall, has been booked for 25-27 June. We look forward to seeing you there! For the actors amongst you, we will put out audition notices in February, so watch this space.

We are in the process of securing performing rights, but we hope that other future productions will include ‘Anna Weiss’ by Mike Cullen, ‘Self Catering’ by Andrew Cullen (not related as far as we know) and ‘Equus’ by Peter Schaffer. We’re also looking out for unpublished or new work, so if you know of anything you think would suit Out of the Box, please get in touch with us.

Out Of The Box’s next production, Still by Steve Lambert, is a deep psychological thriller that explores lust and desire, anger and betrayal.

David is a man trapped in his mundane treadmill life, following the same tedious routine every day. Then one night, driving home from work, he encounters Jo, a free-spirited woman who thrives on excitement and danger. She detests monotony and “seduces married men for fun”

Taking Jo to his childhood hiding place, David is forced to confront his innermost feelings as Jo offers him the thrills he so desperately seeks. Whatever happens, David knows that his life can never be the same again…

Still is on in the Room Upstairs at Lincoln Drill Hall on 27 and 28 March 2014, starting at 8.00pm. Tickets are £8 and are available from the Drill Hall box office on 01522 873894, or online at http://www.lincolndrillhall.com

The heat of a summer night. The cool of a treacherous river. A secret place that has witnessed young love, lust and death. When a married father picks up a seductive hitch-hiker and takes her to his boyhood hiding place, the question is – has he been waiting for her all his life, or she for him? This is a story of desire and betrayal, hate and desecration, love and redemption

Out Of The Box Theatre Company’s next production will be ‘Still’ by Steve Lambert.

The heat of a summer night. The cool of a treacherous river. A secret place that has witnessed young love, lust and death. When a married father picks up a seductive hitch-hiker and takes her to his boyhood hiding place, the question is – has he been waiting for her all his life, or she for him? ‘Still’ is a story of desire and betrayal, hate and desecration, love and redemption.

The characters;

David – Late 20s to late 30s.

Jo – late 20s.

Auditions will held held at the Magna Carta pub, Castle Square, on Tuesday 12th November and in the Victoria Inn, Union Road, on Thursday 14th November. We will start at 7.30pm on both nights. If you’d like to audition but are unable to make either of the nights, please get in touch so we can arrange an alternative.

We have script samples available; please contact us if you’d like a copy emailed to you.